


A Day in the Life

by Parks and Fluff (GamblingDementor)



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Ficlet Collection, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-11 00:39:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5607124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/Parks%20and%20Fluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Series of one-shots, most of which will be related to April Ludgate. Mostly fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dress to impress

"Oh, I just can't believe how much you've grown up, Zuzu!" 

 

April sighs internally, not bothering to respond to her mom. It's not like she ever listens anyway. She flattens a ripple on her dress. Is pink too obvious or flashy? The more she stares at her dumb face in the mirror, the more ridiculous she feels. _Go with it_ , she tells herself. _Obvious is exactly what you want tonight._ She turns around, to see if the angle from the back is better. It isn't.

"You look lovely, sweetie," her dad adds.

 

  
_I better_ , she thinks.  _I wanna be far more than lovely for him._  


Is the dress revealing enough, but not too much so she still feels comfortable wearing it all night? Or maybe not all night… She pulls on the bottom a little bit. _My boobs are too flat._  


"Who are you dressing so nicely for?" her mom asks in that voice April hates, the voice her mother gets when she tries to bond with her. "Any boy you want to impress?"

 

"Is it that Tom guy who is picking you up?"

 

"Ugh, _eww_. No. It's _my_ birthday, I'm doing this for myself."

 

  
_For myself to get laid, that is, at least it's the plan._ But there's things you don't tell your parents − or anyone.

 

"Well, then, erm… We'll let you make yourself all pretty, Zuzu."

 

"Prett _ier_!"

 

They finally leave her room and she's so much better on her own to try and perfect that outfit. Final touches on her make-up, a few last hairdo fixes (although her hair looks like a stack of hay by now and she's ugly), and _god, why is this dress so short? I can't wear this!_ She opens her wardrobe to try and find something decent, some better dress because this one completely sucks suddenly, when she hears a cackling behind her. 

 

"You look like a troll," Natalie snorts. 

 

April slams the wardrobe shut and turns around, glaring at her sister.

 

"Oy, just kidding," Natalie smirks, her hands up innocently.

 

She bounces on April's bed, starts randomly opening drawers of her nightstand. April walks up to her to stop her right there, grabbing her wrist. Natalie looks up, her snicker annoying as ever, and slowly slips her hand out of April's grasp. 

 

"Can't even read your diary in peace anymore."

 

"I haven't had a diary since the last time you read it," April replies and goes back to her mirror, trying to give her hair some volume, pursing her lips. 

 

There's no point in changing outfits, not now. Nothing is going to fit anyway. How does she look from the right side? Maybe she'll have to be careful to present from one side in particular when they talk. But which side? Both sides look absolutely hideous. She does look like a troll. 

 

"So, _is there_ a guy?" Natalie asks innocently.

 

"Like I'd tell you," April answers, and her phone buzzes. 

 

_is it at 8 or 9??? i forgot i don't wanna miss it_

 

It's things like these, the smile on Andy's face this morning when she asked him to come to her party, how excited he was to sing her his song (she's screamed into her pillow twice already tonight thinking about that one), the fact that she is actually an adult now by any measure… She tries not to get her hopes up, but they're already reaching the sky despite her best efforts at being rational. 

 

_9 pm see you there_

 

Though just because she tries not to keep her hopes up doesn't mean she isn't prepared. She stole condoms from Natalie's secret cache behind her desk just in case. Now, she isn't really expecting any action with Andy tonight… Not really. Not realistically. Doesn't mean she'd say no if it came up. If it came up, she wouldn't want them to pass on the good stuff because they'd be unsafe. Not that she's thought about it coming up at all. No way. Not her.

 

"Zuzu!" her dad's boring voice calls out. "Your pal just honked outside!"

 

April grabs her bag and takes one last look at herself. She'll just have to make do with her ugly face and her weird dress. 

 

"Nat, out."

 

"Ugh."

 

"Out," April repeats and Natalie drags her feet out of the room.

 

It's not like she isn't going to be back here inside as soon as April is gone. 

 

April runs down the stairs, waves at her parents on her way out and rushes into Tom's car.

 

"Girl, you look  _dope_."

 

She lets out a short anxious breath.

 

"You think so?"

 

"Totally!" he says as he pulls out of her driveway. "Dress to impress, am I right?"

 

"Shut up."

 

He ignores that and turns up the volume of some rap music.

 

"Don't forget our deal. Walking around casually dropping that Tommy T is the best party beast you've ever met." 

 

"Sure."

 

"Me and my boy Jean-Ralphio were thinking we might get into the party organizing business."

 

"Sounds great."

 

Her hands are fidgeting on her lap despite herself. _Now is not the time for stressing,_ she tries to tell herself, but the truth is that she's been stressing for days. And looking forward to this as well. She can't distinguish the bubbling emotions she feels whenever she thinks of Andy from the deepfelt fear of not being enough. The hope and happiness she feels just at the thought of seeing him and at the prospect of their relationship taking a step further is invading her mind in no smaller way than her anxiety is. But riding next to Tom, listening to him sing along his dumb songs, it's strangely soothing. Soon, the joy of spending the night with Andy, hanging out if nothing more, takes over the nervous side of her. It's her birthday, after all. Why would anything go wrong on her birthday?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	2. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon request: a mini fic about april throwing a surprise for andy (like b day or a promotion)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoy it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.

Under the pretense of getting a Mouse Rat poster from their bedroom, April takes a small break to breathe, relax, get herself together. _It's just a party. Calm down._ Her chest is heavy, full. _This was a bad idea._ There's about fifty people in the living room. That is way more than April can handle on her own. Now if Ben had let her tell Leslie about the party, she would have someone to rely on, but he insisted that if Leslie knew before today, she would insist on helping April organize the party for Andy's first shooting day of the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show. And Ben doesn't think a heavily pregnant woman should be doing anything at all, so Leslie and Ben are coming tonight under some pretense Ben is supposed to make up on the spot. April has had to do this all on her own, and as a surprise no less, and she's pretty sure this is the last time she ever does anything like that.

Because without Andy to grab onto, dealing with a bunch of idiots (friends Andy's made over the years, but idiots nonetheless) is a hell of a lot harder. April takes a few deep breaths. _Think of warm brownies,_ she remembers Leslie telling her once, but that's a very Leslie sort of relaxing method. April pictures large hands rubbing her back, holding her close, a scruffy face scratching against her neck, and she starts to believe she can take this if it means Andy will be all surprised and happy as a result. She grabs the poster and gets back to the living room."Do you really think it's such a great idea to put up posters of a band that ended up breaking up?" Some jerk face asks as she puts it up by the snack table."Andy loves Mouse Rat and he loves when people see the great stuff he's done before," April replies and thinks of Andy's eyes all twinkling with joy or she'll become annoyed again. How many takes is she going to have to take?

As it turns out, she's only taken three more by the time Andy is due to come home any minute. As April yells for everyone to shut up and puts on a Johnny Karate album to welcome Andy, she looks around the room and is quite proud of her work on this party. The snack table is covered with all of Andy's favorite food (she's particularly proud of the huge bowl of Skittles arranged by color in layers, a big candy rainbow), she got cakes with pictures of ninjas and karateka-shaped cookies, and all the walls are covered with banners and posters of Andy's greatest successes. No doubt this new show is one of them. And, of course, there is booze.

Perhaps the best moment since April started preparing the party this afternoon is right now, with no one daring saying a single word, everyone quietly waiting for Andy to walk through that door. April's heard is thumping faster and louder, and her mind doesn't even have the time to run through all the reasons why this party actually sucks because seconds later, she hears Andy's keys unlocking the front door and can hear in his voice that the day went well as he calls out to her."Babe, I'm back! You gotta see the pics I took, man, that was a _great_ first shoo…"He stops right in his tracks when he steps into the living room and sees everyone gathered there."SURPRISE!"And there it is, that look, that smile she's been waiting for. His mouth falls open, his hands on his cheeks, and his eyes are shimmering with the joy of the surprise."You guys…"All at once, people begin to chat it up again, but at least, they're leaving her alone, and April quickly makes her way to her husband whose face lights up even brighter when he spots her and engulfs her into a warm, crushing hug."Babe, I love you so much!""I'm so proud of you," she replies, her voice a bare whisper against his broad chest, and she is exactly where she wants to be.

 

As he starts telling everyone about today, it becomes really obvious that he is very proud of himself as well. It's not really news to April: she asked Leslie for the morning off to be there for Andy's first moments in front of the camera (technically, she just drove him to the studio, stayed there and texted Leslie about it) and from what she observed, he was enjoying himself tremendously. After weeks of drafting episodes, planning out characters and stories and morals, it felt good to see all that hard work Andy'd put into it finally come to fruition. It took more effort than Andy has put into pretty much anything so far, this is his big project of a lifetime, and she wants to be a thousand percent in support.

 

So the whole night, she parades around with Andy, laughing at his jokes with everyone, smiling at all the anecdotes from today's shooting (one kid barfed from too much laughing — Andy is super proud of that one), makes him feel how much she's happy to be Johnny Karate's wife. And she really, truly is. When she met Andy, he'd just fallen down the pit and she still found him hot. And when she fell in love, he was the shoeshine guy. She's known him at his lowest, and she's ready for his highest. And hopefully she'll be there every step of the way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	3. Party II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested anonymously: Andy protecting April.

Generally speaking, April loves being a job counselor. Pay is good, she has no colleagues to answer to, the actual work is engaging and, if she doesn't like a specific client, she can take comfort in the fact that she has ten more today and by the time she comes home, she'll have forgotten about them. 

 

One thing, though. They hold these big parties every few months. Or sometimes they're more like charity events. Or company gatherings. Or whatever, the reason is different every time, and every time it's hell. This time, it's a Christmas party for the whole personal employed at the Foundation and it is pretty much as far away from what Christmas should be like in April's mind as possible. Isn't the holiday season supposed to be about staying at home with family? April tries to think of Andy's face when he'll open his presents, of the hugs he'll give her and Leslie, of the triplets tackling her into a cuddle party, but as soon as she starts feeling even remotely happy, some colleague grabs her and drags her out of whatever corner she's hiding it.

 

And then, there he comes, her prince in shining armor, fending his way through the crowd, handsome as ever. Maybe she'll get saved after all. 

 

"Sorry I'm late, babe."

 

"Andy, I'm so bored!" She whimpers. 

 

"I'm so sorry, Champion barfed on my pants, I had to pick another outfit."

 

"Is he okay?"

 

"Yeah, I checked, he's totally fine. Just kinda felt like puking, I guess. Dogs are silly."

 

Dog concern out of the way, she just clamps onto Andy's arm and decides not to let go for the rest of the night. Thank god this was a party that let you bring along a plus one. 

 

Andy's first thought is to find the snack table. As much as April tries to understand that (the Foundation has hired an _amazing_ caterer), she can't help feeling out of place and like everyone is going to bother her. The snack table is always filled with people, and people look and talk and April hates that. She's drawn this map in her head of all the safest spots of the venue, and the most dangerous ones, and Andy is leading her straight to _the_ hot spot of the night. 

 

"Man, this chicken is delicious! You gotta try, babe."

 

"I'm not hungry."

 

"You sure? It's really really good."

 

She shakes her head. There, right behind him, she's already spotting a first botherer. 

 

"Hey, April! Great to see you here!"

 

  
_These parties aren't optional, jerkface, what choice do I have?_ Before she says a word, Andy swoops in, grabbing her by the waist, and gives his best smile. 

 

"I'm so sorry, Sir, my wife has a bad cold tonight and really can't speak right now."

 

Immediately, What's-his-name admits defeat and backs away with a smile and an apology. Relieved and incredibly grateful, April wraps her arms around Andy's still around her waist and he holds her tight. 

 

"Imma take like ten of these wings, okay?" He says, his mouth full. "Then we're gonna go sit on these stairs, alright?" 

 

April nods. She feels like she's falling in love again − a sensation she's quite familiar with, given that she's married the best husband in the universe who is constantly protecting her from all the dumbasses. The stairs were an orange zone on April's mental map: not quite as crowded as the tables or the dance floor, but still not that far away from the Christmas tree, that for some reason everyone seems to really love admiring. 

 

"Let me taste that," April says, grabbing a piece of chicken from Andy's plate. It's actually very tasty, as expected. 

 

"I thought you weren't hungry," Andy chuckles, but then adds seriously. "Careful not to blow your cover, babe."

 

She leans against him, her rock, always, and nods.

 

"I love you so much," she says, her last words of the night.

 

She has to give him credit: the stairs were a great spot. They only get bothered four times the whole night. That already is too many times when all April longs for is to go home, take a hot bath, give Andy a massage and see where that leads. 

 

The first guy, Neil from HR, Andy actually chats with for a _long_ time. It's not the first time they've met and they're both football fans, unlike her. Andy gives him that excuse that her throat is too sore to speak, yet he won't leave. Only when his boyfriend comes to literally drag him away to dance are Andy and April on their own again.

 

She pulls him down to make out for a bit but they're interrupted by Alyssa, who asks how Leslie is doing. Now _there_ is a topic April wouldn't mind talking about, if only to spread funny rumors about Leslie, but if she speaks to one person, she feels like they'll all come and eat her alive. Andy answers for her and his replies are a lot more truthful than April's would have been − she'll have to correct that if Alyssa asks her to spend lunch together one of these days, as she sometimes does. 

 

Then there is Douchebag the receptionist, who April is sure would have hit on her if Andy wasn't here and she wasn't pretending to be unable to speak. Andy, aka Super Husband, fences him away in no time, making sure to stand up full height and to stand up really straight to show how big and muscular he is − to April's delight. It's not like Andy to be threatening others with violence, but he is not unaware that he can look intimidating with the right look in his eyes. Only way she's ever seen him use that is to scare losers away when they're bothering her. And even then, his first reaction is to talk them out of it, but in this case, April has told him about Douchebag before and Andy knows fully well who he's talking to. 

 

The last person to spot her and try to engage conversation is her manager, and April almost considers breaking out of character when she comes to say good evening, but Andy reacts first.

 

"Ma'am, it's a pleasure to see you again!" Andy says happily and holds up his hand for Ms. Temple to shake. "Andy Dwyer."

 

"Of course," Ms. Temple replies, "Pleasure."

 

"So sorry April can't say hello, she's got a cold."

 

Ms. Temple raises an eyebrow. 

 

"Feeling unwell, April?" 

 

April nods, faking a cough. Ms. Temple _tssk_ s and is about to pat her shoulder but then seems to think better of it and simply shakes her head.

 

"You should go home."

 

"Oh, man, are you sure?" Andy starts but April coughs louder. "I mean, yes, that's a great idea. We should get you home, babe."

 

"Take a day off or two if you need."

 

Without asking for more, Andy thanks her and they leave without delay. In the car, Andy is driving, humming cheerfully. Her prince, her knight, who saved her once more.

 

"Thank you," she says earnestly.

 

"Always," he replies and holds her hand on her lap. 

 

And if the past and the present are any indication, there is every reason to believe him. He will always be there for her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	4. Smooches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after April and Andy get together.

"No, stop!" April giggles, squirming on Andy's lap. Her little hands are clenching the fabric of his shirt and she's all pink in the face.

 

"Alright," Andy says and immediately stops his kisses, even though he'd give her ten thousand millions more today if he could. But what April says goes, always. 

 

She looks right at him with her pretty eyes, trying to pretend she isn't smiling, but Andy totally sees right through that. She palms his torso through the shirt and makes herself a bit more comfortable on top of him (the shoeshine stand's chairs really aren't made for two people at once in one), and then a few seconds later her arms are back around his neck and she's ready again.

 

"Okay, do that again now."

 

Andy gives her little kisses all over her nice and pretty face − he particularly loves her chubby cheeks that look so cute and round, especially when she's smiling. April has been doing a whole lot of smiling today. Under his lips kissing her cheeks, her eyes, her nose, her neck, she's giggling uncontrollably. Even when they were just buddies and they used to hang around a lot, she never laughed like this − Andy is particularly proud of himself for this noticeable change. If this first day of dating April is any example, they're on for a pretty cool relationship in the future. 

 

"It tickles!" She says breathlessly as he starts a new assault against the soft skin of her cheeks. Her hands wind up in his hair, grabbing it full, and it almost stings a little bit. She must really love being kissed everywhere, Andy deduces. He wants to learn everything there is to know about her, not one new thing every day but dozens, today and all days. 

 

She starts to slip a little bit and yelps for fear of falling off, but he grabs her by the waist and pulls her up, snug and secure right against him. She gazes into his eyes, all awe, and strokes his cheek with her thumb. He gives her his best grin, because just being with her is enough to make him so happy, and this time she kisses him, on the lips, and that is one type of kissing he also wants to give her till she's had her full. 

 

"I like you," she says when she pulls away, but not far away, her breath warm against his lips and he smells the fruity taste of the bubblegum he gave her free of charge earlier, "Like, a lot."

 

"I totally like you even more!" he says, his hands flat against her back and she seems so little in his arms, though she fits perfectly. 

 

"Nah, you don't," she replies and gives him another kiss, open-mouthed, that could turn into more if she didn't pull away just as quick as before. 

 

"Okay, well, I like you a lot a lot!" 

 

He tries to start kissing her cheeks again because they just look so cute, and the giggles he gets out of her when he does that are even cuter, but she pulls him down to kiss him full on the mouth again, and he really isn't going to complain if his new girlfriend wants to make out with him. Any part of her is just perfect if you ask him. Her mouth is soft and warm, and her waist is thin under his hands, and he still can't believe that she forgave him. 

 

Someone coughs in the seat right next to them where he's been sitting for twenty minutes now.

 

"Erm, Andy, can you shine my shoes now?"

 

"No he can't, Kyle, he's kissing his girlfriend," April hisses.

 

Sounds like she is an amazing shoeshine stand guardian as well as the best girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


End file.
